Access to data from autonomous vehicles remains an issue, says Allianz

Guaranteeing insurers’ access to data from autonomous vehicles remains an issue, despite significant progress in developing a legal framework for the technology, according to Allianz.

The insurer’s The Road Ahead for Autonomous Vehicles article welcomed last year’s introduction of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill, which modernised insurance rules to accommodate the new technology.

Allianz explained: “By enabling insurers to recover costs when technology failure causes an accident, rather than leaving drivers responsible for accidents they couldn’t prevent, insurers will be able to start developing new products for autonomous vehicles.”

This “major step forward” still leaves some issues, Allianz said in the article. “In particular, there is uncertainty over whether insurers will have access to data from the vehicle to determine the cause of a crash, including whether the vehicle or driver was ‘at the wheel’.”

“Having this event data is important and will allow liability to be established quickly, speeding up the resolution of a claim.”

Allianz went on to predict that autonomous vehicles will make an appearance in everyday life over the next five years or so, most likely in the commercial space, through platoons of trucks or public transport, or in restricted areas, such as on college campuses or at airports.

Mark Dugdale